


We Never Knew What we Had

by Captain_Twinkie



Category: Bastille (Band)
Genre: F/M, Spells & Enchantments, Supernatural Elements, brief mention of spell
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-10
Updated: 2019-01-11
Packaged: 2019-10-07 16:43:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17369624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Captain_Twinkie/pseuds/Captain_Twinkie
Summary: They say an experienced person could learn how to walk into dreams of someone they know. Similar to lucid dreaming where the Dreamwalker can interact with the dreamer.Emily Waltson is just a college student trying to get by in life and figure out what exactly she wanted out of it. Except in her dreams she's been haunted by a tall, blue eyed stranger who seems to make her more happy than she is in the waking world.She's more than surprised to see he's an actual person at her campus and he has his eyes set on her.But how did she create him in her mind if she's never seen him before?Is there something more to the charming smile, accented voice and puppy dog eyes he's shown her?





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> I apologize for this being my first ever story involving Dan Smith. I'm usually writing about Loki or Steve Rogers.. So if this is a little OOC then oops.
> 
> Enjoy anyway.

[i] Her head was spinning as she rode her horse along the dirt road, she knew where she was but personally she had never been here in her life. The place was familiar but only in photos and movies she had seen. Her imagination was very detailed as she felt the brisk but humid air beat against her face, her fingers were clutching the wiry mane of her gelding as she leaned over his neck, the pounding of his hooves drowned out every sound around her.

She felt free and giddy, her stomach clenching like she was about to reach the top of a roller coaster before spiraling down. The grassy fields with mist were spread out before her in an endless loop until she reached a small town, nestled between the hills. Her horse slowed down, spit covered the front of his chest and face, body heaving and wet with sweat from the extended gallop. Emily felt her high leave her but she still felt some sort of way; like a very long awaited package was waiting at her door and she needed to get there. 

The amble into town was interrupted when she spotted a figure coming out from a side street, he wasn’t extraordinary looking; no more than anyone else she had passed. But her eyes were glued to him and as if he felt her staring, he looked over and their eyes met. Her heart lurched as if to embrace him itself and she clutched the mane tighter until the horse stopped in the muddy side road, snorting. The stranger grinned, coming towards her with a quickened pace until he was right next to her right thigh. 

“About bloody time you came.” His British accent was smooth and soft, calming her nerves and she reached for his hand instantly.  
Emily couldn’t hear what she replied with because it was a dream, does anyone ever remember what they’ve said?

The remembrance of a dream made her vision blur before she woke up in a gasp, right hand reaching out for thin air. [/i]

 

It had been two weeks since her latest dream with the strange man. The scene was never the same except for him. She could never pin point who he was; he never spoke his name, but it always seemed like she arrived in her dream in the middle of a conversation. It never bothered her much, in her dreams she always had control, but she’d wake up and wonder what had exactly happened. More often than not, she tried to figure out why he was there in the first place. It wasn’t like she was dreaming of him because she saw him everyday in her waking life; trust her, if she saw someone like him, she’d try her hardest to get his attention.  
It made no sense and it was driving her insane.

“Have you ever had a dream you couldn’t explain?”

Emily’s best friend, Anna glanced up from her novel and looked around like it was an obvious answer before laughing. 

“Isn't that basically a dream… I mean, I can never explain why I always go into dreamland with two colored socks, no pants and I live in a candy house..”

Emily sighed, setting her own book down. The college library was silent and eerily empty for a Tuesday. Her finals before the holidays was coming up later in the week and of course instead of studying she was trying to get some insight on her dream…friend. Anna wasn’t the best choice since she didn’t have the exact mindset that Emily needed when it came to ‘otherworldly’ situations. Anna was practical but not in a serious asshole sort of way.  
“No…I mean, remember that dream I had with that cute guy?”

Anna nodded, “Yeah, close shaved head like that sexy beast from Lost…British accent, shy.”

“I keep having dreams of him. It’s not every night but it’s about four times a week, sometimes more if I take a nap.”

Anna looked over at the floor to ceiling windows, lost in thought, “I read something that said you can’t conjure up a person in your sleep. That your brain takes someone you see, even for a split second and manifests it.”  
“Well that’s not helpful.” Emily muttered, “Why does my stupid brain have to pick that face.”

Anna shrugged, packing up her books and swinging her bag onto her left shoulder; Emily followed suit. 

“Beats me, maybe he’s your soulmate.” She wiggled her fingers as she widened her eyes. Emily laughed, rolling her eyes as the girls walked out of the library and into the cool afternoon. It was a Friday night and a lot of the students went off campus to party which was the usual. 

Anna was texting her boyfriend or whatever they were, a small smile on her lips. 

Emily couldn't help but yearn for someone to talk to; she wasn't the type to find love in the college setting since so much drama happened here and one night stands were defiantly not her cup of tea. She briefly wondered if she conjured up this guy in her dream because of her wanting a relationship; her loneliness eating away at her subconscious.

"-Hey are you listening?" Anna nudged her harshly in the side, looking a little annoyed that she was being ignored. Emily shook herself from her dark thoughts.

"Sorry Anna. What did you say?"

"I asked if you wanted to head out tonight, Josh mentioned a house down the way that's having a chill party." Anna quickly added, "Nothing wild he promises. I swear he worries more about you than I do."

Emily found herself grinning over the fact that Josh; who used to be one of her childhood friends but now was more on Anna's side, was being the protective brother. He always had a soft spot for her but she knew (and prayed Anna did as well) that he saw her as nothing more than a sister. Sometimes Emily could see the irritation and jealously radiating off her friend when Josh mentions Emily's problems or of the like. But Emily didn't have the strength to tell her that nothing was ever going to happen between them. Words didn't much matter to Anna so Emily knew to keep a considerable distance from the guy.

"Sure, why not."

Anna's grateful smile was enough to tell Emily that her friend was happy she was tagging along.

[line]

Emily pulled back her brown hair in a bun as they walked up towards the mansion like house. Anna's dirty blonde hair was nicely braided down her back and secured with a pink ribbon; making her look innocent and young. Emily hadn't changed into anything crazy once they dropped their things off at the dorms, adding her equestrian riding jacket to ward off the chilly air. The house was booming with music, flashing lights could be seen through the curtains as Anna pushed open the gate and walked up the front steps. The music wasn't piercing when they entered the house which Emily was grateful for. It seemed the biggest room in the house was used strictly for dancing; bodies pressed together. Other rooms were different; kitchen had beer pong and food, living room had some sort of video game and chairs. Upstairs meant...well, alone time for whoever. Some people were in the backyard with a blazing fire pit. It was actually pretty tame, Emily had to admit. 

Anna spotted Josh in the kitchen, his victory over beer pong was rewarded with a few loud shouts from the losers as the girls walked over to him. Josh was a couple years older than them, working on his last year of college and it was making him edgy. He was an attractive guy, looking somewhat like a jock who was trying out more adult like attire. He was studying to be a lawyer since his parents were brought up poor and wanted him; their only child, to succeed more than they ever did. He was probably the only guy that Emily thought was a good match for Anna. Anna was wild when she wanted to be, her innocent demeanor fooled a lot more than students here. She was blazing smart and knew more about human anatomy than anyone wanted to learn. Her forensic degree was going to take her places if she stuck with it. She needed someone to take her hand and pull her back onto the right path once in a while. Josh was perfect. 

Emily hated to admit they were meant to be.

After the greetings between the three and drinks passed around, they sat down in the near empty living room. Emily sat on the recliner, half tempted to lean it back but was a little uncomfortable with someone saying something. Anna and Josh were instantly engrossed in their own conversation, knees touching and eyes locked together without a care around them. 

It wasn't too long before they were heading outside to the fire, Josh wanting Anna to meet someone and Emily just tagging along.

She was having an okay time, better than being in her dorm alone and probably feeling low for not trying to be social. 

The fire was a little bigger than should be deemed safe, the people gathered around it laughing and singing off tune as they tossed finished beer cans into the flames. Someone somewhere was playing the guitar, the first notes of a song she's never heard before. As they stepped closer, the crowd had settled more, voices softer as the guitar strumming gained more of a tune rather than just plucking the strings. On the other side of the flame sat a guy on the edge of a lawn chair, an acoustic guitar resting on his thighs. His head was down, focusing on the instrument as the students around swayed with the tune. Anna, Emily and Josh sat down to his left in front of the fire, gazing into the orange depths as the man began to sing softly, voice rising as he grew more confident. 

Emily closed her eyes as she listened to the words; the song wasn't a cover, maybe something the guy wrote himself? Whichever it was, it was hauntingly beautiful. 

[i]"I can feel the draw, I can feel it pulling me back.."[/i] He hit a low note, accent that was clearly not from around here showing, Emily shivered and caught a glimpse of his face as he looked up just as she did, their eyes meeting across her friends. His eyes looked tired in the firelight, green and black beanie covering his hair and ears. But as he sang, their eyes never wavered from each other, an invisible force keeping them locked. Emily could feel anxiety welling up from her gut- bubbling through her stomach to form like a heavy ball in her chest. The more they stared the worse it became, spreading an odd warmth through her bones like the one time she was given morphine for her kidney pain; how it started at the crown of her head to her toes. 

But as soon as the anxiety started it disappeared as his song ended and their trance was snapped from the clapping of the strangers around. Emily blinked and looked down at her near empty cup, feeling exhausted from the odd moment. 

It was almost like deja vu; his eyes seemed familiar but she wasn't sure from where exactly. 

"Sing another, brother!" A guy on the other side of the fire cheered, Emily couldn't help but think of a reason to escape inside without causing attention. 

"Ah, can I take a bit break first?" The singer chuckled, voice closer now. The brunette froze and raised her head to see the guy heading her way, eyes burning holes into her as he approached slowly, one of this hands pushing the beanie off his head as he went.

The urge to throw up came strikingly fast as she recognized who he looked like in that moment.


	2. Chapter Two

"Jesus Em!" Anna exhaled as she finally wrestled her hand out of her friend's. "Slow down, why are you freaking out?!"

Emily's fight or flight instinct was on high alert as she kept going; she had slowed down now but if she stopped she wasn't too sure what would happen. 

The brunette swung around as the blonde grabbed her shoulder to get her attention, Anna blinked in surprise, taking a quick step back. 

"Hey," Anna whispered, their breath causing little wisps to swirl into the chilly air. "Talk to me...what the hell happened?"

Emily exhaled loudly, looking behind Anna's shoulder to see they weren't followed, "That was him! That was the guy in my dreams!"

Her friend was silent, rubbing at her red eyes that dried out from the intense fire, "That....that hot ass singer was your dream dude?"

"Yes!"

The blonde grasped her shoulders and shook her violently, "Earth to Em, why did you run?! That was legit your DREAM guy!"

Emily pulled away, zipping up her jacket and huffed. 

Okay, now she felt stupid.

"Let's go back.." Anna coaxed, half turning away to head back to the house but Emily didn't follow. The blonde glanced back and sighed. "Em.."

"No, go ahead." She looked towards the dorms ahead of her, "I've made a fool of myself enough tonight. I'm good."

Anna contemplated whether she should stay or not but after Emily's raised eyebrow and stubborn look, her friend gave up, sending her a tiny sad smile. 

"I'll text you in the morning, yeah? Get some coffee?" 

Emily smiled, it not quite reaching her eyes as she nodded and watched the blonde head back to the party. After a few moments of watching helplessly, Emily trudged towards her dorm room. Her roommate had dropped out of college shortly after enrolling so Emily was thankful to have a giant dorm room to herself. Sometimes it was nice...but right now it was lonely.

As she got ready for bed, Emily thought about the moment she realized the cute singer was from her dreams and how she had full out fled the damn party; dragging Anna along with her.

The urge to throw up flooded her system as she recognized who he was. 

'Oh god..no.' Her mind chanted with every step he took towards her. 

His smile grew, soft and shy as he drew within a few feet of her. 

Her mind quickly switched to 'Time to go' just as he stopped and opened his mouth to speak directly to her. She broke the eye contact and stood abruptly, causing Anna to react and stand as well, reaching for Emily's hand in concern. 

Emily instantly gripped her hand and dragged her towards the only other exit than through the house; a side gate. Emily couldn't remember if she ran anyone over because all she could hear was her heart screaming in her ears, matching the sound of her anxiety. 

She slapped her forehead with her hand, dropping her face into her pillow and let out a groan. 

"Way to go, Em." She muttered into the fabric, closing her eyes and hoping everything would be better in the daylight.

When her phone beeping roused her from her dreamless sleep hours later, she felt even worse but in a different way. It felt like someone had taken the ash from the fire and made her drink it. She reached over the nightstand blindly to drag her phone to her ear, clicking the answer button. 

She made a guttural noise into the mouth piece. 

"How are you still asleep when I came into the dorm at 4am." Anna's chipper voice greeted her.

Emily raised her head to see the alarm clock read '11:40am'.

"I feel like..death." She swallowed and winced. Her voice sounded like a 50 year old smoker's. 

"Ew, you sound like death..." Anna giggled, "Breakfast would make it better, 15 minutes?"

Emily sighed loudly into the phone before hanging up. After a few seconds, she threw the blanket off her body and headed towards the bathroom attached to the room, praying the steam would release her from the raspy voice.  
10 minutes later she was dressed and walking down the sidewalk to the small cafe every single student went to around her. As she entered; the little bell signalling her arrival to everyone, she noticed a lot of the people that were at the party were there; a lot looking more deathly than her. She spotted the blonde and Josh in the corner booth and headed over; sliding into the plastic that faced them and the entire room. 

"Here." Josh poured her a cup of steaming coffee and slid the tiny mug into her waiting hand. She added sugar and cream, sipping it and exhaled slowly. 

"How ya feeling?" Anna smirked, her food arriving as the waitress came over. 

Emily glared before smiling up at the waitress, giving her order before the older woman walked away.

"So.." Josh poured more coffee, "Wanna talk about it?"

"Nope."

"I really think we should-"

"I really think we shouldn't." Emily argued. 

The two glared at each other from across the table, Anna watching with an amused glint in her green eyes. The bell above the door alerted them to a new guest and Emily glanced over curiously and wished she didn't.   
A group of guys walked through the doorway, looking for an open table as they chatted among themselves. Out of the five of them, Emily noticed the guy from last night immediately. The little squeak of surprise left her throat as she ripped a menu from seat beside her and held it in front of her; hiding her face as his eyes scanned the cafe, almost spotting her. She peeked around to see the group walk away and to another table and she sighed with relief, dropping the menu. Josh and Anna were staring at her with suspicion. Emily's face heated up and she grinned sheepishly. 

"Now can we talk about it?" He edged. 

Emily ran a hand through her hair, "I know that singer from last night."

Josh cocked an eyebrow, "As in...-"

"Not like that!" She snapped a little too loudly, "In my dreams, he's been haunting me for the past 6 months!"

"Yikes." Anna whistled, "Full on crazy mode there."

Emily wanted to snap at her but bit her tongue, "I'm serious guys. I've never seen that guy in my life...especially not around campus! We've been here for a year and half way through the year he starts popping up into my dreams? Isn't that a little weird?"

Josh stirred the spoon in his cup as he thought hard on what to say. Their food arrived and Emily twirled the scramble eggs around on the plate, feeling stupid and foolish. 

"I mean...I've seen him around a lot." Josh finally spoke up, meeting her eyes. Emily rolled hers and dropped them back down to her food. "He's taking a major in English literature. It's the building right next to yours and Anna's."

"I swear to you, Josh.. first time I've seen him."

"Your mind can't make up someone like that... you had to have passed him and your mind just...remembered. He is your type." He ended with a smile. 

Emily's cheeks reddened and she saw Anna look over her shoulder at the guy then back towards Josh. Emily felt her heart drop as her best friend compared the two and the blonde paled. The two men were closely related in looks but once again, Josh was too brotherly for Emily to have any deeper connection. 

With that out of the way though, Emily felt embarrassed being so hung up on a guy that was apart of her dreams and now she sees him in real life. Maybe they were right, she passed him by and her mind clung to his face. Maybe he was talking as they passed and her mind remembered. 

It made sense but it didn't settle with her gut.

Breakfast went by with other topics before they paid and walked out together. Emily huddled behind them as they shuffled out, pushing past others that were waiting to be seated or pay. She bumped into someone as she watched the floor, excusing herself as she kept going. 

"No problem." The male accented voice spoke up, presumably the shoulder she rammed into. Emily glanced up briefly to meet his blue eyes and sent him a small smile before she walked out, not allowing anymore interaction between them to happen. 

She just wanted to go back to her dorm and study before finals.

A few hours found her in the library, returning a novel she checked out a few weeks ago. She figured she could study here instead of in her quiet bedroom where she may fall asleep. 

The library at the campus was gorgeous; dark walls and cathedral ceiling. The windows looked like they could easily belong in an old Victorian church. It was peaceful and not overly crowded around this time of day, especially not this close to a major holiday like Thanksgiving. A lot of people had taken their finals early so they could head out but Emily wasn't in that big of a hurry, her family knew her degree was important and she'd come home when she could.

"Hey." Emily looked up to see Anna approach her little corner. 

"Hey, you coming to read?"

Anna shrugged, shuffling awkwardly by the table, "Look-"

Emily knew exactly what was happening here, "I don't like Josh, man."

"I just..." Anna breathed out, "When you first told me about the dream guy, you described Josh and I..." She trailed off.

"I'm being totally honest on this." Emily replied, giving her friend a smile, "He likes you, you like him and I'm seriously okay with it. Especially since dream guy is real."

She cringed at how insane that sounded, but Anna laughed softly and agreed.

"You should say something to him. I mean, he did try to talk to you at the party.."

Emily nodded, "Maybe after winter break." She lifted her Moriarty science book and Anna nodded. "When you heading home?"

"Tomorrow morning, only flight that was this week. Gotta love the holidays."

Emily laughed, "Yeah, text me when you land?"

Anna agreed, coming over to hug her friend before leaving the library. 

Emily found herself feeling a little better now that Anna would hopefully understand the relationship between her and Josh.

Probably not though, Anna had a lot of problems and one of them was trust. Not because of anything Emily did, but past friends. 

Emily was okay with repeating herself until the blonde got it together.

She packed her books away and headed back to her dorm for dinner and an early bedtime, finals were tomorrow and she had a long drive back home.


	3. Chapter Three

Her eyes opened to a starry sky and the sound of crackling fire somewhere to her right. She was laying back on a hammock, the air was sticky from the summer heat, the sky still had some lighter blue on the edges from the daylight. A radio was playing somewhere in the background, just a random channel playing that didn't really keep her attention. Voices were around her, laughter loud and the entire thing felt very homey. She sat up slowly to see her parents house before her. The backyard was set up for a summer party. A few people were still in the pool, beer pong was set up with a giant light pouring down from the second story window. She could smell the remainder of hot dogs and french fries in the air. She didn't really spot anyone she knew so she didn't move from her hammock. She hummed along to the music on the radio, realizing this was a dream since it was not summer when she went to bed, she tried to keep as still as possible to not jolt herself awake. 

Looking around, she felt herself smile. It was almost like nothing changed, her parents' summer parties were always a welcome in July. Good neighbors and childhood friends would spend the day just hanging out until the fire died and people got too tired. 

Emily could see her mom on the porch, talking to a few other people as she took a cup from her dad, their smiles relaxed and happy. She didn't feel someone sit beside her until the hammock swayed a little and she turned her head to see the dream guy beside her. He handed her a solo cup, lifting his in a silent salute before taking a quick sip. 

Emily tried to come up with something to say but found her throat dry as she struggled with words and control over her mouth. 

"At least here you can't take off running." He laughed, joking quietly. He looked down into his drink for a second before staring across the yard. 

"Hi." She managed after a long moment, able to hear herself for the first time in six months.

He turned towards her, shocked and tilted his head, a blinding smile appearing on his face. 

"So you can talk!"

Emily wrinkled her nose, rolling her eyes. 

"I'm joking."

She wanted to speak about everything all at once but it seemed like just listening to herself talk was draining. Her heart felt...full as they sat beside each other, watching other people have fun. 

"This is always my favorite part." He commented, she wasn't sure if he was talking about the party or their situation. 

The world was beginning to blur, "Who are you?" Emily blurted out, last of her energy going towards her waking up. 

He faced her and grinned, "Why don't you wake up and ask me."

Emily came to with her throat on fire and her heart aching. 

The day was spent staring at her text book and writing until her hand cramped up. By the third hour, she wanted to bang her head into the 600 paged book until she could no longer see words. 

It was five o'clock when she turned in her last assignment and trudged to her dorm. With no time to sleep, she started to pack her luggage for her 5 hour drive home. Her mom had already texted her 10 times to see when she was heading home, her dad sending her a photo of the dogs waiting patiently at the door like they knew she was coming home. 

Her phone rang as she threw her bags into her car and locked it, heading towards the cafe for a quick dinner before the drive.

"Yes mom." She greeted, sitting down at a lone table near a window, taking the menu with a friendly smile. 

"Are you on your way yet? You know I don't like when you drive at night."

"Mom," She sighed, "Hold on." She put the phone down and ordered pasta before picking the phone up again, "I'm getting food before driving. I promise I'll be safe."

She listened to her mom and dad argue over the phone before her dad's voice greeted her. 

"Your mother is having one of those days, sweetie. Take your time and we'll wait up for you."

Emily laughed, promising her safe arrival soon and enjoyed her dinner in peace. Pretty soon she was driving home, happily singing to the radio.

 

She couldn't remember after arriving home except her parents ushering her to her old bedroom and helping with her bags before leaving her alone. She didn't even undress before she was crawling under the covers. 

"It's Christmas and you want to plan a summer vacation?" His voice was incredulous and Emily giggled, pulling up the beach front vacation homes. He was leaning on her shoulder, his musky cologne surrounded her in safety and home. The Christmas tree was brightly lit with white lights that illuminated his face as he put his head on top of hers. 

"It's never early enough to plan a vacation! And who doesn't love beaches!"

"You can't be content with the season you're currently in." He teased but was looking down at the different islands and resorts. 

"Of course I can be!" She exclaimed, "But it helps me look forward to things if I plan ahead, like in summer I'll look up skiing resorts."

The man next to her hummed, his arm that was pressed into her side looped around her shoulders and squeezed briefly in a hug before his hand started to stroke her hair that fell over her shoulder. 

"Whatever you say, darling."

For whatever reason, Emily had no control in this dream. Any time she wanted to speak to him about another more relatable topic (like who the hell he was) her voice was talking about vacation homes or Christmas gifts.

But this was fairly nice and domestic. The feeling of having someone warm and wanting next to her during her favorite holiday. The room didn't look familiar but she expected it was someone's home; maybe his? Theirs? Her stomach flipped with excitement over his innocent touch; like a teenager holding hands with their crush for the first time. She felt...whole. Her mind wasn't swirling with college papers or whether her parents divorce was finalized or if they were going to try to make it work again. Reality wasn't known here; it was just her and him and this....simple, content life.

Her dreams were always different, always in different places or times. They never wore the same clothes or talked about the same topic. But she always had the same feelings towards him, like he was her best friend or someone she had known forever. 

Was her mind broken? 

Was she insane?

Emily spent the entire next day lost in deep thoughts about what was possibly wrong with her. Maybe she studied too long or wasn't social enough so her brain supplied something in lieu? 

Her tablet was laying in front of her, internet browser open but she had no idea what to even search for.

Her mom came around the corner, entering the kitchen with a few dirty plates from lunch and glanced over at Emily.

"What's wrong? Did you fail?"

"No, nothing like that.." She trailed off, instantly remembering that her mom was usually dabbling in those tarot cards and religiously went to palm readers. She always mentioned going with her own mother and the almost accurate things they said. Emily wasn't really a true believer; sometimes those people got readings based off of your words or concerns. But there were some cases where they were correct and Emily wasn't one to straight up put someone down. If it made her mom happy on the readings, why ruin it? Emily never got her own readings done but that's because it just wasn't her cup of tea. 

But...

"Hey, mom." She bit her lip, contemplating what to say, the older woman came over to the table and sat across from her. "Have you ever had a recurring dream?"

"About a certain situation?"

Emily shook her head, "No about one person. It's not really the dream itself recurring but him. It's not every night but he's there.."

Her mom stared at her thoughtfully, "Well I can either give you the real reason or the more easy one."

Emily knew what the easy one was; the same that both Anna and Josh told her. 

"Spells can be worked on someone so they can Dreamwalk." Her mom explained after a few moments of silence, "It's not particularly bad but it can damage the person dreaming or the walker."

"So the walker can choose who they visit?"

Her mom looked uncertain, "Yes and no. Some people do it to check in on loved ones or sometimes an enemy but a lot of times if you're inexperienced, you just sort of enter a random dream."

Emily nodded along, seeming a lot more satisfied with the answer. 

"Why? Do you think you have a walker in your dreams?"

Emily grimaced, "Possibly. Josh and Anna think I've seen the guy at campus and built him up to be in my dreams more than usual but I don't think so. The weird thing is I really think the guy knows what he's doing, we finally ran into each other a few nights ago but I panicked and left."

Her mom laughed, "Sounds like you." She grew serious then, reaching over the table to take Emily's hand, "Why don't you actually meet him? But be careful, Em, we don't know what he possibly wants... if it was just a mistake then that's one thing but....a purposeful spell can really put you in danger."

Emily felt numb, a lot more worried that maybe this was more sinister than she originally thought. It must've shown on her face as her mom squeezed her hand and gave her a soft smile, "You know I worry about you."

"A lot more than I deem normal." Her dad piped up as he came into the kitchen, a teasing smile on his face as her mom pulled her hand away and glared at him. "Are we done having serious witchcraft talks or are we going to head to your sisters'?"

Emily smiled, grabbing her tablet and rushing upstairs to change into more wintry clothes than her t-shirt and jeans. She loved going to her aunts house, the woman had inquired a lot of money from a previous husband (who was as close to an uncle as Emily would ever get) after he passed away. Her aunt put all of that money into separate bank accounts for her family members (Emily included when she graduates college) and the rest was put into their dream home. Her uncle always wanted to own a lot of wooded land and a cabin. Too bad he didn't live to see it; cancer taking him 13 years after they married. His legacy does live on in the form of their daughter, Amber who was ranging on 15 now. She had the free spirit of him while she clung to her mom who sheltered her. 

Emily felt bad for the girl who would eventually need to break away but she had hopes Amber would follow through and make her own life somewhere.

Thanksgiving was always a giant affair for her family, every person that wanted to be there would come and visit the cabin. The wooded land was perfect for the kids to play hide and seek and stay out of the house. Her aunt Lynda had bought a huge jungle jim for special occasions like this. 

The house was beautiful and it made Emily yearn for something like this herself. 

 

As soon as they arrived, they could see a lot of the family was already there. Kids running outside and a few adults smoking on the porch. Emily took a deep breath as she exited the car, grinning as the family spotted them and waved excitedly. 

Her mom came over and latched onto her arm, carrying a bag of food in her other hand as they ambled towards the house. 

"I'm so proud of you, baby."

Emily leaned her head onto her shoulder briefly and sighed, happily. 

 

It wasn't until a couple hours later with the food still cooking on the stoves that Emily received a text on her tablet from Josh. 

'Happy turkey day! Miss you!' With a photo attached of him and Anna grinning at the camera. Emily picked up her tablet and sent her own photo of her and the family behind her, replying with the same sentiment. She knew they'd meet up during break, having family close together. 

Her app binged again minutes later.

'Totally unrelated, Em.' Pause, 'But that guy messaged me asking for your #.'

Emily blinked and re-read the message before typing out, 'Uh, what?'

'So, I know him more than u think??? Sorry, Emmie... but serious..'

Emily sighed harshly, rubbing at her forehead before setting her tablet down and getting a drink before she sat back down to reply to it. 

Wasn't that a little weird for some stranger to want her info? Was Josh even serious about knowing the guy or was he just dampening the weirdness? Emily shook her head, no Josh wouldn't mess with her like that. 

Before she could ask him anything else, another message came through.

'He's friends with some of my classmates, being in english lit we sometimes pass by in the hall. Seems chill and not like he would slit ur throat. he hasn't like come right out and be like "hey give me emilys shit" cause hes cool, Em. Promise. He just said ur cute and asked if u were taken.'

Emily laughed softly, 'no matter what you say, he sounds like a total creep. But I'll judge that, he can have my number but he needs to know I cant be messaging every three seconds. I know those games guys play.'

Instant reply of, 'That's rude you think us guys play games, Em.'

Then another of, 'Sweet, I told him you don't need no scrub.'

Emily laughed out loud and attracted a few family members, her mom sending her a questioning look that she shrugged off. She half expected the guy to instantly text her (not like she was looking at her tablet every minute or anything, nerves were dangerous) so it was a little surprise that after dinner she heard the 'ping' of her messaging app. 

Unknown number, her heart leaped into her throat, 'hey, this is josh's friend. Emily right?'

Why was she all of a sudden nervous?

She couldn't lie when it took her almost a full minute to formulate her simple agreement text.

'Who are you, sorry, Josh doesn't tell me anything important...like names.'

'lol Dan. Hope you're not thinking I'm a creep for asking indirectly for your number.. i've had a few failed attempts before this.'

Emily blushed, taking her tablet outside on the back porch to get some air. The house was stuffy from the heat of the stoves and people, her stomach was full and the marshmallow yams were laying heavy somewhere in her throat. Some of the older kids were outside tossing a football around, a couple of the younger ones playing monkey in the middle. She sat down on the chair hammock, kicking her legs out and let her body swing back and forth a little. 

She watched the typing bubbles on his side pop up and disappear but he never sent her anything. She smiled, wanting to apologize but she also didn't want to relive the embarrassment. 

'Yikes yeah sorry. Social gatherings make me weird.'

'Same here, idk this family gathering is nice though.'

Emily glanced out over the backyard and nodded absentmindedly. 

'Yeah, family around here?' She questioned, trying to start an actual topic.

'Not exactly lol. London. Hence the accent...but I have some friends that are like my brothers that invited me to their house.'

'im sorry, i couldn't imagine not being with my family on a holiday.'

'I'll see them for Christmas, flights are a little wacky right now. Thanksgiving to me is just a 'lets eat and nap for 3 hours' anyway.'

Emily giggled and let herself be engrossed in their conversation about their families and London. She wasn't too sure how long she sat there, swaying on the hammock and typing out her replies with rapid speed like they were old buddies but the sun had completely vanished behind the trees and the air grew bitter cold. The kids were inside, bundled up to leave while the adults packed up to go bags. Plans were being made for Christmas dinner as she finally emerged from the back porch into the warmth of the house. Her parents were pulling on their jackets and greeted her when they spotted her. Her fingers were numb from the cold, her tablet not reacting to her touch so she locked it and made her rounds to say goodbye to everyone. A few of her family members congratulated her on her passing her finals (yay for professors who didn't wait around) and handed her early Christmas cards that more than likely contained money. 

The car ride home she watched the trees pass outside the window as she settled her head back, closing her eyes and tried not to text Dan back about hanging out when they got back on campus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Does anyone know who to make certain text italics? I thought I was doing it right but I'm not :(


	4. Chapter Four

A couple days after Thanksgiving, she was back at campus and ready to just rest and see her friends. Her family was great but she could only take so much of their asking when she was moving back into town or what job she was seeking once she graduated in the summer. Being home made her realize the small town was like a black hole; sucking the life out of everything she grew up with. She was lucky to get away from it, to get accepted into a wonderful college that actually helped her career wise and was close enough that her friends were accepted as well. 

She slid on her riding boots and jacket as she made her way across the courtyard and into the campus stables. A lot of the students were just trickling back from vacation. A lot of them took the entire vacation time off and would arrive back after Christmas. Some of the professors were still doing lessons, more like a refresher or bonus classes for the ones that were looking to pass their classes. 

Emily unlatched her horse after tacking him up, leading him into the practice ring and warmed up. The weather was between seasons today; feeling like the actual beginnings of fall with the crisp air but under tones of humidity. The skies were dark, clouds rolling in with the impeding storm. 

Riding was her go to with keeping her thoughts together and freeing her soul. It was probably one of the reasons why she pushed to be on the equestrian team so bad. The other riders were more competitive and snobby towards her; something that wasn't too bothersome for her anyway. Anna and Josh weren't too keen on riding so bonding over it wasn't on the top of their lists. Which Emily guessed she could be grateful for, she had to have something for herself. 

Emily paused in her circles, taking a look at the hunter arena; thinking about trying out her jumping again. She leaned more towards Dressage but sometimes she dabbled in the hunter seat. Her horse, Arin, was an import from Germany who knew every single discipline, he just followed whatever she wanted and caught on quickly. She tied him to a post as she made her way through the jumps, lower the bars to a more easier height. She knew she could jump up to three feet but it didn't mean she needed to. She reached over the saddle to take her phone out of the pouch, texting Anna where she was and mounted again. Her friends would probably come watch since they arrived back earlier that morning. She guessed Anna and Josh were finally trying out dating since every time they talked since she left they were together. Emily knew it would happen eventually and tried not to feel a certain way. She hoped they wouldn't be that couple that excluded her from the group and she really hoped if something negative happened they wouldn't put her in a bad spot. 

Her quick spike of anxiety spurred Arin into a bit of a frenzy; his head bouncing as they cantered around the fence, she took a deep breath and patted his neck as she gained more control of herself before she took a nasty fall. She focused on her rails and course as she lined him up and let loose. He was powerful, hooves pounding into the dirt as his excited snorting somehow made her more confident. She flew over the course in a leisure stride and slowed down as she came towards the bleachers where she saw Anna and Josh watching, clapping. She grinned, stopping in front of them. 

"Hey guys." She greeted, out of breath. 

"I'll never not fear for your life when you ride." Josh laughed, "Gonna do a speed course next?"

Emily looked over at the course again, the rails were low so she could get away with a speed course without getting hurt or hurting Arin. She looked back at them and shrugged.

"Sure, why not." 

Anna pulled out her phone, "Recording okay?" She questioned, Emily shrugged again, noticing a few other people curiously watching. She was amazed at how many people here acted like they'd never seen horse riding. She guessed it was the same reason why Josh liked to watch; the anticipation and the thought they rider was going to fail. It always took his breath away no matter what. Anna just liked the horses. 

"Gonna gather a crowd." Emily commented, pulling Arin's reins and looping around the course to make sure the rails were perfect. She glanced over at the bleachers and noticed she did draw a crowd, her anxiety spiking again. It wasn't like she wasn't used to people watching, it was the one person she saw watching that made her second guess herself. She looked down at her hands and gripped the reins, Arin dancing to the side as he felt the pressure. 

"Sorry buddy, no dancing today." She relaxed her grip and took off in a trot towards her first rail. After that she picked up speed, flying over the course and listening to the wild claps of the people watching. She passed them in a blur, a blinding grin on everyone's face. Some were recording like Anna and she saw Dan clapping and cheering along with the others. Her face grew red and she pulled Arin to a slow walk, letting go of the reins and placing her hands on her hips to ease the ache. Josh hopped over the fence and jogged over, keeping pace with them as she cooled down. 

Emily noticed Anna speaking to Dan excitedly and she looked away quickly. 

"That was amazing, Em!" Josh gripped her knee before resting his hand on Arin's neck. "Dan was freaking out in the stands."

Emily laughed, rubbing at her dirty face with her sleeve. Sweat was dripping into her eyes and down her neck. 

"Can't believe he watched." She muttered. 

"I'm not. The guy is super chill. We've been talking for a few weeks over school stuff and then after Thanksgiving he's been asking about you. You didn't like ignore him yeah?"

Emily snorted, "You know I'm not stuck on my phone. I avoided the whole 'let's hang' conversation he tried to start."

Josh whistled low, turning Arin so they didn't pass the bleachers. 

"Avoided because you don't like the guy or because you're worried about something?"

Emily bit her lip, looking over again and seeing Dan was watching them while Anna was speaking towards him. He noticed her looking and waved, a shy tight smile on his face. Emily waved back and tried not to smile back. Josh raised an eyebrow at her and she glared, hitting his shoulder as best she could since Arin was a huge paint; 16.5 hands. 

"I don't know him enough to judge if we are compatible or not."

"You're not going to compare him to your dream Dan right?"

For some reason that irked her and she took her attention to pulling at Arin's mane. 

"Look, you and Anna can believe me or not but I'm still being...bothered with those dreams. I really think something is going on we don't know."

Josh pulled roughly on the reins to stop Arin and Emily almost lost balance. 

"Em, you gotta stop with that shit. Dreams aren't anything but your mind cooling down. When are you going to stop with that?"

"Mom said something about Dreamwalkers and I really think-"

Josh's face twisted in frustration, "Jesus, you're really lost your marbles. When was your mom ever right about the damn witchcraft bullshit?"

Emily stared down at Josh and felt anger bubble up into her throat. Their stubbornness caused them to not back down and she grabbed the reins from his grip, glad he let go. She turned Arin away and towards the gate before hopping off and leading him into the stable. As she brushed him off, she could hear Anna ask what happened and Josh blowing off her questions as they walked away. The crowd had vanished, thankfully, except Dan who wandered uncertainly into the stables, looking lost and out of his element. 

She spotted him studying the team photos on the wall.

"You look lost." She greeted him, trying not to laugh. 

Dan smiled and came over, leaning against the wall by Arin's lead and watched her. 

"Never been in here before, honestly. Bigger than I thought."

Emily hummed but kept brushing her horse. 

Dan cleared his throat, reaching out to touch Arin's neck. The horse made a noise like he was curious too and bumped his nose into Dan's shoulder. Dan didn't react much, still coming forward with his hand until Arin shoved him back with his nose. Startled, Dan side stepped and she watched his face turn red as he tried to see if she saw. 

She couldn't help but giggle, "He's a good boy, he prefers being rubbed..." She stepped in front of the horse and laid her hand between his eyes and rubbed softly down to his nose and up again. "Like that. He's not a neck horse unless he's being rode."

Dan nodded, coming over to stand beside her and repeat what he did, grinning as the horse pushed into his hand and closed his eyes briefly. 

She stepped away to brush Arin's other side, stealing side glances as Dan kept up his touch and goofy happy smile on his face. She felt...content as she did something she loved alongside someone who seemed to enjoy the company as well. It didn't help that he looked so happy to just stand there do that. Most people would've pulled away and wandered the aisle, not really staying in one place. As she got into the rhythm of sweeping his coat in small flicks, she stole looks at the man cooing to her horse. He was dressed warmly, button up grey tweed coat and a dark scarf tucked under the fabric. His jeans were form fitted and disappeared into his boots. He was a few inches taller than her, his blue eyes were darker than hers and liked to focus on whatever he was studying. His accent was very deep, sometimes he talked too low and she couldn't catch much of what he was saying. He held similarities with the Dan in her dream, his facial expressions were nearly identical except she hadn't seen this Dan look at her like the dream one does; loving like she was his whole world. His accent was the exact though and that really worried her, she wasn't friends with anyone else that sounded like him, it wasn't something she could replicate in her own mind. 

She was startled out of her thoughts when she felt Arin shift under her hands, getting antsy. She snapped off the leads and put him in stall, filling his food bucket with grain before locking him in for the day. She turned to face her companion who sent her another small smile, puppy dog eyes on full force and she was reminded that he gave her that look in her dreams to get his way. 

Her heart leaped in her chest just like it did when she was sleeping and she wanted to curse herself.

"Would you like to get dinner? I know you've avoided my text.."

Emily wanted to decline but she watched him shift uncomfortably and internally shrugged at her excuses. Maybe Josh was right, maybe she should just give the guy a chance.

"Sure, can I change though?" She lifted her arms to show the horse hair clinging to her pants and jacket. She was sure her face had dirt and sweat caked to it. 

Dan chuckled, "Yeah, we can meet outside the gate in an hour?"

Emily nodded, sending him a little smile as he promised to see her later and left the stables. She released the breath she found herself holding as he walked away and wiped at her face again. An hour meant a hot shower and trying not to panic and cancel on him.


End file.
